Month: May 2022

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The country’s second airport is at 80% completion as the country seeks to boost growth and development in south western region

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s second largest international airport is set to open up trade and investment opportunities in the oil region upon completion.

The Hoima-based airport whose construction now stands at 80% is expected to fasten transportation of oil and gas equipment as well as boost the growth and development of the planned industrial park.

With SBC Uganda Ltd as the contractor, Kabaale International Airport – whose construction started in 2018 – was expected to be completed in April this year for the first phase, to handle cargo planes.  But the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic slowed down the construction work.

SBC Uganda spokesperson, Amos Muriisa, said on May 20 that the airport will be ready for use by February next year as the government’s new deadline.

He said the first phase of the project is expected to pave way for the importation of the heavy equipment, materials and machinery by the oil and gas companies which are currently in the initial stages of developing their own projects.

These include; field flow pipelines, feeder pipelines, the central processing facilities in the fields and at the Kabaale industrial park, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and later the refinery, and well equipment for related industries expected to be born out of the oil industry.

The second phase, meanwhile, will include an expanded passenger terminal that will be expected to boost tourism and other activities leading to high passenger numbers.

Construction of the runway, which is 3.5 kilometres long and 45 meters wide is 95 percent complete, while the cargo terminal building, the limited-capacity passenger terminal building, the air rescue firefighting house, power substation house and the air ground lighting system are all between 78 and 90 percent complete.

The airport is designed to handle the largest cargo planes in the industry currently, and, according to SBC, the apron can host four of such aircraft at once.

The next nine months will also see the construction of housing for airport operators and the control tower start and completed, according to Muriisa.

However, there is fear that hundreds of Ugandans, including a good number of those from the local communities, will soon lose employment as the project comes to an end. Of more than 1000 workers, about 95 percent are Ugandans who will be released.

Muriisa says these are being advised to adjust to that they can be taken up by other construction projects expected in the area.

These include; the oil and gas processing facilities, the East African Oil Pipeline Project, refinery and other related activities in the industrial park. Other facilities expected to be constructed on the 29.7square kilometres of land are; shopping malls, recreational centres, health centres, technical colleges and accommodation among others.

Muriisa said the four years of participating in the airport construction project, it is expected that the workers have developed enough capacity to take up opportunities in other projects, whether they are private or government-owned.

At the beginning of the project, SBC was accused of employing more foreigners and Ugandans from outside the Albertine Grabben, which allegedly amounted to the violation of the National and Local Content policies.

But Muriisa said this was because it was hard to find the people from the local communities, with the specific skills required by the magnitude and complexity of the works being undertaken.

He says, however, that with the help of technical training institutes in the area, many had their skills upgraded and they were taken up. The East African nation hopes to produce the first oil in the first quarter of 2025.

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Post Republished By Alfonso Hilsaca Eljadue (.com)

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Seoul: South Korean tech giant Samsung is reportedly planning to close down its last liquid-crystal displays (LCD) production lines. The decision to close the LCD business, by Samsung Display, will be completed by June of 2022 as the company faces tough competition from its Chinese and Taiwanese counterparts, reports GizmoChina. Samsung Galaxy M13 With Triple Rear Cameras Launched; Prices, Features & Specifications.

The company has decided to focus on manufacturing organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and quantum dot (QD) displays, as OLED panels have started to become the norm in the smartphone market. That being said, the main reason for the shutting down of LCD panel production is the reduced profits in the venture, as per the report.

A recent Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) revealed that the price of an LCD is 36.6 per cent of what it used to be in January 2014, the component’s peak production period.

No investment plan details have since been announced, and the employees of the LCD business are expected to be transferred to the QD business, the report said. Samsung Display had decided to close its LCD business in late 2020, but the plans were delayed at Samsung Electronics’ request due to a sudden increase in the prices of LCD panels during the Covid-19 pandemic.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2022 10:23 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

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Digital Lighting Controller-DLC-02 for office lighting application. Credit: MEAN WELL

Post Republished By Alfonso Hilsaca Eljadue (.com)

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Seoul: South Korean tech giant Samsung is reportedly planning to close down its last liquid-crystal displays (LCD) production lines.

The decision to close the LCD business, by Samsung Display, will be completed by June of 2022 as the company faces tough competition from its Chinese and Taiwanese counterparts, reports GizmoChina.

The company has decided to focus on manufacturing organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and quantum dot (QD) displays, as OLED panels have started to become the norm in the smartphone market.

That being said, the main reason for the shutting down of LCD panel production is the reduced profits in the venture, as per the report.

A recent Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) revealed that the price of an LCD is 36.6 per cent of what it used to be in January 2014, the component’s peak production period.

No investment plan details have since been announced, and the employees of the LCD business are expected to be transferred to the QD business, the report said.

Samsung Display had decided to close its LCD business in late 2020, but the plans were delayed at Samsung Electronics’ request due to a sudden increase in the prices of LCD panels during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The Pleasanton City Council is set to review the 2022-23 midterm budget update on Tuesday, including how a $1.7 million surplus and other allocations could provide more funding toward projects such as a new skate park and cricket field or repairs to the library, West Las Positas Boulevard and the Century House.

The latest update includes adjusted estimates for the two-year operating budget that was adopted by the council last year in June. City officials assessed the estimates based on current financial conditions, according to the council’s staff report.

Notable adjustments include changes in the general fund getting an increase of $5.4 million in revenues and a $3.7 million increase in expenses, resulting in a budget surplus of $1.7 million that staff are recommending to transfer into the capital improvement program to support priority projects.

One of those projects includes adding $3 million to a skate park project in the works since 2014. The proposed skate park would be built at Ken Mercer Sports Park, but the new funding would only provide half of the total estimated $8.5 million it would take to cover full project costs, according to city staff.

They are also recommending funding $250,000 for the conversion of an existing sports field to a cricket pitch. Matt Gruber, a city landscape architect, told the Weekly the city has not determined a specific location for the field, but is evaluating three potential locations at Ken Mercer Sports Park that meet the minimum field size requirements.

“Development of a public outreach process, likely to include a public survey and/or public workshop, is currently underway,” Gruber said.

As far as repair projects, city staff are recommending $2.5 million to be used to repair the West Las Positas Boulevard. The project would provide long-term and interim repairs from Interstate 680 to Santa Rita Road including reconstruction of portions of sidewalk and roadway including road section replacements.

Approximately $3.1 million is also being recommended for the repair and replacement of the Pleasanton Public Library roof and lighting system.

The Century House, which has been closed for the last eight years due to concerns about code compliance and health and safety issues, would also receive $1.7 million under staff’s recommendation. According to the budget report, a master plan with community input is nearing completion, which after receiving final approval would allow the preparation of construction plans to bring the facility back to the public.

While some of these projects such as the cricket field and the library would be fully funded for completion, the rest would not based on current funding levels. City staff do present recommendations for future allocations that could fully fund the projects in future years.

The budget surplus of $1.7 million originates from the difference in increases to general fund revenues and expenses over prior estimates.

Some of the general fund changes are in property taxes from increased assessed valuation of real property in Pleasanton and in sales and use taxes from increased receipts related to general consumer goods, restaurants and hotels and service stations that have recovered from COVID restrictions, according to city staff.

Other changes include increases in business licenses for general economic recovery, document transfer taxes to reflect higher real property values and recreation fees to reinstate recreation programs to pre-COVID levels.

General fund expenditure increases are another major change in the budget.

The increases in budget presented in the review are personnel labor agreements, cost-of-living adjustments, one new position for the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department and increased staff to support recreation programs.

The rest of the expenditures include transportation and training development costs related to maintaining city public safety and operations, professional services, park maintenance, street maintenance, and other contractual obligation increases due to inflation, city staff said.

The council will review the budget and after providing recommendations and any changes they have, city staff will come back and present a final budget for approval at the June 21 council meeting.

The council’s public workshop is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday (May 31). The full agenda can be accessed here.

Before the open meeting, the council will gather in closed session with city staff to discuss the ongoing labor negotiations with the firefighters union.

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BEKA Schréder is proud to have supplied the LED streetlight retrofit solution for the N1 highway in Cape Town. Significant energy savings are achieved with this new installation without compromising the required light levels.

The N1 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Cape Town through Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Polokwane to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road.

The old HID streetlight installation has been replaced with BEKA Schréder’s AVENTO 3 and LEDLUME range LED streetlights. Significant energy savings are achieved with this new installation without compromising the required light levels. In addition, the improved light uniformity increases road safety, as it allows the driver to see the complete environment. Because the colour rendering index is higher, the colours are closer to their true colours, leading to a better visual perception.

The AVENTO 3, which has been installed on the highway, is an efficient energy saving solution for one-to-one replacement of 600W HID luminaires. It offers a superior lumen/watt ratio to deliver a high-performing and energy efficient lighting solution for various landscapes, including security lighting, highmast lighting, interchanges, roads and highways. The AVENTO 3 is Telemanagement-ready for easy Smart city integration with Schréder EXEDRA, which is the most advanced lighting management system on the market. Due to the tool-less access to the gear compartment, it is fast and easy to install. Furthermore, compared to the previous luminaires, there is less upward lighting and therefore less light pollution.

The LEDLUME range, which has been installed on on-ramps and off-ramps, offers optimised photometrical performance with a minimum total cost of ownership. It provides customers with the ideal tool to generate energy savings, improve lighting levels and reduce maintenance costs. The great variety of high-performance optics optimises the photometric distribution for each specific application to achieve minimum energy consumption. The LEDLUME range offers flexible combinations of LED modules, a choice of currents and dimming options to further maximise energy savings and provide the most cost-effective solution.

BEKA Schréder locally develops and manufactures energy-efficient LED lighting products, designed and suitable for local conditions. We are very proud to be associated with the Western Cape Government, Kantey & Templer, Zutari and Adenco in providing a successful energy-efficient streetlighting solution for this project.

For further enquiries, contact Grant Kemp or Riaan Bubb at 021 510 8900 or ct@beka-schreder.co.za

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Mangalore University (MU) continues to drag its feet on implementing its committee report that had recommended a detailed inquiry into the Rs 2 crore solar roof-top scam by a sitting or retired judge two years ago.

According to information obtained by DH under RTI, MU’s committee had submitted the report on July 27, 2020, recommending an inquiry by a retired judge of the High Court as an inquiry commission.

Member of committee and MU’s syndicate member Ramesh K said the university had set up a committee following protests by student organisations.

The scam was also raised on the floor of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, recollected Ramesh.

Highlights of report

According to the report’s findings, availed under RTI, National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) had quoted the lowest amount (Rs 1,88,22,231). However, Bengaluru-based Matrix Technologies’ highest bid of Rs 2,42,65,000 received approval from the university.

“There was no project proposal and Detailed Project Report (DPR). The mandatory monthly reports, service call reports and logbooks for the first 15 months during warranty were also missing,” the report had observed.

Installation of solar-powered systems, including street lighting systems and rooftop solar panels on university buildings and hostels was completed in 2018.

The university had paid Rs 2,09,19,827 to Matrix Technologies in a phased manner when Prof K Byrappa was the vice chancellor.

The committee’s report (copy of it obtained under RTI) declares that there is ‘prima-facie evidence to show misappropriation of funds to the tune of over 2 crore rupees’.

The report, alleging misappropriation of money amounting to Rs 2 crore, by university authorities, was approved in the syndicate meeting and sent to the government in 2020.

MU Vice Chancellor Prof P S Yadapadithaya said that the government had directed the university to unearth the reasons why the solar project had failed. Accordingly, the syndicate members passed a resolution, recommending the setting up of a committee.

“A former judge of the High Court is expected to assume charge of the inquiry panel soon,” he said and assured that the solar power system would be made functional.

‘MU should have saved Rs 1.5 crore annually’

All 166 Solar Photovoltaic Modules (SPVM) and 250 panels for water heating, installed are defunct.

“By now, Mangalore University should have been saving over Rs 1.5 crore annually on electricity costs,” says Pandiyanda Sunil Chengappa, who had guided Bengaluru University in installing over 220 kW solar rooftop system.

“Today BU is saving about Rs 36 lakh to Rs 40 lakhs annually because of its roof-top solar panels,” he adds.

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Work has now been completed on a £195,000 LED lighting upgrade scheme in Armagh City centre.

The scheme is part of an £8 million investment in new LED street lights across Northern Ireland and involved the replacement of existing lights with a new energy efficient LED system with a predicted lifetime of approximately 25 years.

According to the Department for Infrastructure, the new lighting system will improve the night time environment, through improved quality and uniformity of lighting.

The works have taken in Ogle Street, Thomas Street, Market Street, Upper English Street, Russell Street, McCrums Court, Scotch Street, Dobbin Street, Linenhall Street, Abbey Lane and Dobbin Street Lane.

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Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd said: “This significant investment will benefit everyone who travels and lives in the area.

“I  am committed to addressing the issues which matter most to people and street lighting services are crucial in ensuring those driving, cycling, wheeling and walking can do so safely within their communities.

“This investment provides new modern LED lighting technology in Armagh City centre and will importantly provide adequate street lighting that not only improves the quality of lighting but is also more energy efficient, given my commitment to climate action.

“I would like to thank the public and local businesses for their cooperation and compliance with all temporary traffic restrictions while these much needed works were completed.”

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The FAA is testing solar-powered airfield lighting at Penn Yan Airport (KPEO) in New York.

Solar lighting has the potential to provide lighting at airports without connecting to the electrical grid, reducing an airport’s overall carbon footprint and making it possible to equip an airfield that would otherwise have little to no lighting, FAA officials noted.

“This initiative is primarily about safety, particularly at airports that don’t have resources to install full lighting systems,” said Ryan King, acting manager of the FAA’s Airport Safety Research and Design Section at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City. “The capability to install effective solar-powered lighting systems could benefit all types of airports — but especially rural, small GA airports — without sacrificing safety.”

The solar lighting system was installed in September 2021 at Penn Yan Airport. Runway and taxiway edge lights, obstruction lights, elevated runway guard lights, windsocks, and signs are lit with their own solar panels and battery supplies, according to FAA officials.

The FAA will gather data for a year, which will give it enough time to evaluate performance, as well as the costs of solar-powered lighting systems.

According to King, there’s an additional benefit to general aviation airports if the solar lighting systems are proven safe and reliable: Many of these airports are in rural areas that don’t have immediate access to medical or other emergency services. A better-equipped airport could become a lifesaving option in times of crisis, he said.

“There’s also an equity piece to making these small airports more accessible to more flights and to more people,” he said.

The agency plans to expand the program, evaluating solar lighting systems in Arizona beginning in the fall of 2022, and later in Washington state and Oklahoma.

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When the Millville Boardwalk complex opened three years ago, it was the intent of its owners to bring the feel of a summer night on the beach inland just a couple of miles.

The McCarthy family and partner Joe Garner built the complex’s Agape Creamery ice cream shop, Lighthouse Beach mini-golf course and Captain’s Quarter’s arcade as the first phase of the project. With the 2022 summer season about to kick off, the Millville Boardwalk has added new spaces and features to the complex.

To introduce the expanded offerings, the Boardwalk will feature, starting this weekend, the “World’s Biggest Beach Ball Pit,” for a limited time. The attraction includes 5,800 beach balls in a variety of sizes. Crews were assembling the ball pit earlier this week.

Tickets for the ball pit and the adjacent Beach Ball Pit Beach cost $8 per person and are good all day on the day they are purchased, according to Roger Marin, Millville Boardwalk’s director of business development. The ball pit opens Saturday, May 21, and will remain until May 30, Marin said.

Also on May 21, the complex will hold a grand opening of its expanded boardwalk space, which features the new Horseshoe Hut snack kiosk, as well as a new stage and lighting system. Delaware-based band Petting Hendrix will perform during the day.

“The McCarty family and Joe Garner three years ago, when they opened this from scratch — they built an incredible facility. I joined the team here in January of this year,” said Marin, who hails from New York City.

“Building off of their great foundation,” Marin said, the new spaces — plus a new branded souvenir program — add new dimensions and new programming possibilities to the complex.

“Our goal is to turn the Millville Boardwalk into an entertainment destination for this area,” Marin said.

To that end, there is a full schedule of events at the Millville Boardwalk through the next several months and beyond. The new motto for the Millville Boardwalk, “Always Endless,” with its retro beach theme, hints at the vibe the owners are going for, and new signage throughout the newly expanded entertainment complex tells the story of what’s to come.

For example, each day there will be a different featured activity: Monday Munch will be live cooking demonstrations by Common Ground Hospitality. Each Tuesday there will be “Yoga on the Boards.” “Wellness Wednesdays” will be a lecture series in partnership with Beebe Healthcare and the Custom Fit 360 fitness center. Thursdays will be Mini-Golf League days. Also, on rotating weeks, each Thursday evening will feature either a “vendor’s market” or a “Dinner Under the Stars,” which will be a ticketed event, catered by Common Ground Hospitality.

Each Friday and Saturday, the new performance area will be the focus, with a variety of concerts scheduled. On Sundays, the Agape Creamery will take center stage with “Sundaez,” which will offer a new ice cream flavor infused with local produce.

In addition, each month’s schedule will include a “Boardwalk Gives Back” charity event, benefiting three local charities each month, Marin said. On the Fourth of July, the Millville Boardwalk will host a hotdog eating contest “modeled after the great Coney Island, in my hometown,” he said with a chuckle.

“Under a Summer Sky” events on Fridays and Saturdays, Marin said, are meant to capture the feel of long-ago summer nights at the beach. “The idea is a nostalgic throwback, summer nights like they used to be,” he said. “Come out with the family, live in the moment, leave your phones in your car.”

“We’ll have live music, roving street performers, novelties, surprises, all sorts of fun going on here every Friday and Saturday night,” Marin said.

Ping-pong tables will be available outdoors for leagues, as well as rental by the hour, Marin said. The complex’s new souvenir line will feature 30 items, ranging from beach towels and T-shirts to photo keychains.

Tickets for the World’s Biggest Beach Ball Pit, which will be open Saturday, May 21, through Memorial Day, are available at the Millville Boardwalk or on their website, at www.millvilleboardwalk.com.

The space currently occupied by the ball pit will transform throughout the summer as an event space for a number of different things, such as a pig roast, a clambake, a luau, inflatable water slides and a craft fair.

The Millville Boardwalk is located at 35287 Atlantic Avenue, Millville. A schedule of events is available on the website, at www.millvilleboardwalk.com.

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The Canadian Government has committed more than C$4m (US$3.15m) to Victoria International Airport in Canada to help it recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and to support continued air services and important transportation infrastructure projects at the airport.

The airport will receive more than C$1.3m (US$1m) from Transport Canada’s Airport Critical Infrastructure Program for upgrades to the lighting on the approach to Runway 09. The work will include the installation of new land-based and water-based lighting systems, with the water-based fixtures being structurally reinforced to withstand impacts from barges that work in the area. It will also include the reconfiguration and extension of the existing floatplane dock to accommodate the new lighting system. In addition to funding for the infrastructure projects, the Government of Canada provided the airport with over C$3m (US2.3m) from Transport Canada’s Airport Relief Fund to help maintain continued airport operations and essential air services for residents and workers in Victoria and surrounding communities.

The Airport Critical Infrastructure Program, launched in May 2021, will provide airports with C$571.2m (US$450m) in funding over five years for eligible infrastructure projects related to safety, security, connectivity to mass-transit systems, and testing and screening related to Covid-19 and its variants. The Airport Relief Fund, also launched in May 2021, provided C$64.8m (US$51m) in funding in 2021-2022 for targeted airports whose 2019 revenues were less than C$250m (US$197m).

Annie Koutrakis, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, said, “The Victoria International Airport is a key transportation hub not just for Victoria but for much of Vancouver Island. It connects us with family and friends, helps us discover new destinations and is a pivotal trade corridor for many Victoria businesses. This funding will enhance airport safety for travelers, aircrews and airport workers while supporting jobs and our regional economy.”

The Honorable Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Transport, said, “As we move forward with the safe and gradual return of activity in the aviation sector, in a way that continues to support the health, safety and security of all Canadians, it will be imperative that we continue to ensure a vibrant and competitive Canadian air sector. These critical investments will allow the Victoria International Airport to invest in the infrastructure and tools needed to help reinvigorate the aviation industry and allow Canadians to feel safe and secure when they travel.”

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At the May 24 Fillmore Central School Board meeting, Superintendent Heath Olstad reviewed an email from a student’s parents regarding her severe peanut allergy and addressing ways to keep their daughter safe at school, as she will be moving to the high school building in the fall. They had visited the April council meeting to discuss the matter as well. Board member Shelly Topness expressed concerns about the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that will be offered to students at the Strength and Agility program. Olstad noted that the sandwiches will only be offered to grades 10-12 students and that they will be given the sandwiches as they are leaving after their practice. Board member Jim Love said that it was an effective way to provide protein after a workout and pointed out that some kids probably bring their own peanut butter sandwiches anyway. Topness said that she understood that exposure from people bringing their own food in was unavoidable, but that it was different when it was the school passing out the food itself. Aaron Bishop agreed. “Our foremost priority should be the health and safety of all students and staff. We should do our best to limit the exposure,” he stated. It was decided that Olstad would look into the possibility of having the sandwiches made at a different location and picked up there or outside the school building if peanut butter is used.

Superintendent Olstad asked what the board wanted to do about the two ala carte items that contain peanuts, which are available to high school students in the cafeteria. Jennifer Pickett stated that she didn’t see a problem with them as students will someday graduate from school and will have to learn how to protect themselves in environments where peanuts are available. Bishop was in favor of cutting those two items out for a year and seeing how it goes. “I think there are alternatives,” he said. Ristau made a motion to not sell or provide peanut items for breakfast or lunch through the food service program and to offer peanut-free zones in the school. The motion was approved.

Superintendent Olstad reported that the spring concerts for both buildings have wrapped up and they all went well. Fillmore County Soil and Water once again provided trees for the fifth grade class to plant. Almost 150 student athletes have signed up for the Strength and Agility program this summer. The senior award banquet took place recently and nearly $49,000 in scholarships was given out.

Alex Lange was hired as the high school social studies teacher for the 2022-23 school year. A resignation from SAC/daycare employee Makayla Braaten was received. Resignations were also received from long-time employees Joni Mehus and Maggie Walsh. The board thanked them for their years of service to the district. Special education service contracts with Hiawatha Valley Education District or HVED were approved for an audiologist and physically impaired and traumatic brain injury. Up to 20 hours of curriculum writing for summer school were approved for certified staff. The summer rec coaches were hired and included Regan Hanson, Josh Haugerud, Atlee Hershberger, Myleigh Scheevel, Maddie Topness, Marissa Topness, and Greg Kennedy.

The 2021-22 budget was revised to include federal dollars and donations as well as the elementary school roof replacement, summer school programs, and other expenses and income. The board approved the revised budget.

The district’s property and liability insurance from Minnesota Insurance Scholastic Trust or MIST was renewed for the upcoming school year at a rate of $76,045.96. The custodial pay scale was revised in order to be compliant with pay equity regulations. The workmans’ comp insurance quote from Gallagher Core 360 was approved at a lower rate than last year. The sports sharing agreements with the Lanesboro and Mabel-Canton school districts were approved as well as the school’s MSHSL membership for 2022-23. A memorandum of Understanding with Luther College which allows student teachers to fulfill their classroom teaching requirement at Fillmore Central was approved.

The school’s policy is to close student activity accounts that did not have any activity over the school year, but Superintendent Olstad asked the board to waive the closing of the dance team’s account. While there wasn’t a team this last year, the school is hoping to have one in the coming school year. The board approved the waiver.

The board reviewed several bids for the LED lighting project and approved the low bid from Retrofit Lighting and Design. The project will upgrade both sites to 100% LED lighting as well as retrofit three SPED rooms with Color Tuning Lighting Systems.

The purchase of two square scrubbers and two edge scrubbers from DALCO were approved. They will replace the orbital scrubbers which are currently used for floor maintenance in the buildings. The goal is to create a safer work environment as the orbital scrubbers use chemicals that can make the floors slippery while the new ones are dry scrubbers. Representatives from the scrubbing company and DALCO have already trained the entire custodial staff on how to use the new equipment.

The next Fillmore Central School Board meeting will be held on June 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the elementary meeting room.

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Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier has unveiled the Global 8000, a new plane with a maximum operating speed of 721 miles per hour — making it the fastest private jet in the world.

The challenge: From 1976 until 2003, the Concorde was the world’s fastest passenger jet, with a cruising speed of 1,354 mph. That’s more than double the speed of sound (767 mph, or Mach 1), and it meant passengers could get from New York City to London in under three hours.

Before Concorde even flew, however, the FAA prohibited supersonic planes from flying over land, due to concerns about the booms produced when they break the sound barrier, which limited supersonics to oceanic routes. Tickets were incredibly expensive due to the high cost of fuel, and the plane was unprofitable.

The Global 8000 is faster than any private or commercial jet since the Concorde.

Fastest private jet: Today, several companies are working to bring back supersonic flight, and Bombardier says a ​​proof-of-concept demonstrator for its newest offering, the Global 8000, exceeded the speed of sound during test flights in 2021.

It still isn’t legal to fly that fast over land, but the plane’s maximum allowable operating speed of Mach .94 is just shy of supersonic flight, so it’ll get people anywhere they want to go about as quickly as is legally possible — and faster than any other private or commercial jet since the Concorde.

The details: The Global 8000 can carry up to 19 passengers and boasts four individual suites. The cabin has a circadian lighting system to fight off jet lag and a filtration system that delivers the “fastest fresh air replacement,” according to Bombardier.

It has a range of 8,000 nautical miles, which means it could travel between Los Angeles and Sydney or New York and Hong Kong without stopping to refuel.

Development of the Global 8000 is ongoing, but Bombardier expects to have the plane ready to enter service in 2025, and the fastest private jet won’t be cheap — the list price is $78 million.

The big picture: The Global 8000 is a high-end private jet that will likely be used primarily by business execs and the very wealthy. The rest of us might be stuck at today’s commercial jet speeds for a little longer, but the next upgrade could have us moving even faster than Bombardier’s passengers.

United Airlines has already inked a deal with Denver-based startup Boom Supersonic to buy 15 of its in-development supersonic commercial jets. Those planes won’t be able to fly over land, either — at least until the FAA revises its regulations — but they’re expected to be 75% more efficient than the Concorde, so tickets should be more reasonable.

Atlanta-based startup Hermeus, meanwhile, is developing a hypersonic passenger plane capable of traveling at least 3,800 mph (Mach 5), without producing a sonic boom — if the FAA changes its speed limit into a noise limit (as NASA hopes it will), it could potentially fly over land.

Under the existing rules, the plane could still get you from New York to Paris in 90 minutes, compared to today’s 7.5 hours — and Hermeus says it expects tickets to cost about as much as today’s business class seats.

We’d love to hear from you! If you have a comment about this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at [email protected].

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A promotional image of a quantum-dot LED TV (Samsung Electronics)

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Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have discovered a way to generate electricity from solar energy at night, potentially overcoming the problem of intermittency in solar renewable power.

During the day, the Earth heats up as sunlight hits the planet, and at night this heat radiates out into the cold outer space in the form of infrared light. A research team from UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering has managed to generate electricity from this radiated heat. To achieve this, the team used a thermoradiative diode, which is made from the same materials as night vision goggles.

“We have made an unambiguous demonstration of electrical power from a thermoradiative diode,” Associate Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes, who is leading the team of researchers, said in a UNSW media release.

“Using thermal imaging cameras, you can see how much radiation there is at night, but just in the infrared rather than the visible wavelengths,” he said.

“What we have done is make a device that can generate electrical power from the emission of infrared thermal radiation.”

The thermoradiative diode generates electricity by creating a flow of energy across the temperature differential that is created when hot infrared light is emitted into a colder area, such as the night air.

“Whenever there is a flow of energy, we can convert it between different forms,” Ekins-Daukes said.

“In the same way that a solar cell can generate electricity by absorbing sunlight emitted from a very hot sun, the thermoradiative diode generates electricity by emitting infrared light into a colder environment,” said Phoebe Pearce, co-author of the paper that published the discovery.

“In both cases the temperature difference is what lets us generate electricity.”

Pearce added that the thermoradiative process is similar to photovoltaics—the direct process of converting sunlight into electricity—in the sense that it was made by humans to harness solar power.

“We are diverting energy flowing in the infrared from a warm Earth into the cold universe.”

An image taken with a thermal camera, not the one used on the Cat S60, shows what is visible through the technology. (ivansmuk/iStock)

The amount of power that is generated using the thermoradiative diode currently, is approximately 100,000 times less than the power generated by a solar panel.

“The device works by drawing electrons into the semiconductor as thermal radiation is emitted,” said Ekins-Daukes in an email to The Epoch Times.

“Ideally, this is the only process, but unfortunately, in real semiconductor materials, there are other parasitic ways that electrons can find their way to the energy levels responsible for emitting light.

“Our device manages to draw one electron for every 100 photons (particles of light) that are emitted. If we can improve the semiconductor device, we can get closer to a one to one ratio.”

The results of the UNSW study confirm a process that was, until now, theoretical, propelling the world closer to developing more efficient and specialised technology that captures night-time solar energy at a much larger scale.

Ekins-Daukes compared the research team’s work to that of the engineers at Bell Labs, who demonstrated the first solar panel that was efficient enough for practical use in 1954. The Bell Labs solar panel had an efficiency of around six percent, according to the American Physical Society, yet that device led to the development of cells that can convert around 40 percent of sunlight’s energy into electricity.

He said that the team’s next step is to develop devices dedicated to increasing the generation of power from the emission of infrared light.

“At the moment, we are using a photodiode made from a mercury cadmium telluride alloy (HgCdTe) which is used as a sensor in night vision equipment.”

“We will switch to the III-V compound semiconductor system that is easier to work with and allows us more control over the device architecture,” Ekins-Daukes said. “Our device is presently performing at 1/10,000 of its potential, so there is significant scope for improvement.”

This infrared photo shows how much heat is escaping because of damaged insulation. (Courtesy of Luis F. Rivera)

The research team believes that the new technology will have multiple practical applications, providing power in currently impossible ways.

Ekins-Daukes said that, in principle, body heat, which glows when viewed through a thermal camera, could be converted into power using the team’s technology.

“Right now, the demonstration we have with the thermoradiative diode is relatively very low power. One of the challenges was actually detecting it.”

“Down the line, this technology could potentially harvest that energy and remove the need for batteries in certain devices–or help to recharge them,” he said. ‘That isn’t something where conventional solar power would necessarily be a viable option.”

Technology that can eliminate the need for a battery or create a rechargeable battery is particularly useful for bionic devices such as artificial hearts, which currently are powered by batteries that have to be replaced regularly.

“The present diode that we have demonstrated could power a wristwatch from body heat if scaled up to the size of the watch,” Ekins-Daukes said.

Additionally, he said that the device with some improvements has the potential to deliver electrical power silently at night “with the evident application for military operations where electronics might need to be powered without a noisy diesel generator.”

“Finally, with a cheap, non-toxic scalable semiconductor material, it would be possible to combine the thermoradiative diode with a solar photovoltaic device, generating electricity from sunlight during the day and thermoradiative power at night,” he said.

The UNSW researcher said that if thermoradiative power is used in combination with the currently used solar panels, the power generated at night by infrared light would be around 10 percent of the power generated during the day by sunlight.

Solar panels being installed in “Catching the Sun.” (7th Empire Media)

“Even if the commercialisation of these technologies is still a way down the road, being at the very beginning of an evolving idea is such an exciting place to be as a researcher,” Michael Nielsen, co-author of the paper, said.

“By leveraging our knowledge of how to design and optimise solar cells and borrowing materials from the existing mid-infrared photodetector community, we hope for rapid progress towards delivering the dream of solar power at night.”

UNSW’s research team hope that industry leaders will realise the potential of night-time solar technology and support its development.

“I think for this to be breakthrough technology; we shouldn’t underestimate the need for industries to step in and really drive it,” Ekins-Daukes said.

“I’d say there’s still about a decade of university research work to be done here. And then it needs industry to pick it up,” he said. “If industry can see this is a valuable technology for them, then progress can be extremely fast.

“The miracle of solar power today owes itself to world-renowned researchers like Scientia Professor Martin Green at UNSW, but also to industrialists who have raised large sums of money to scale up manufacturing.”

This research study builds upon the work of an earlier team that included a co-author of this study, Andreas Pusch, who developed a mathematical model that this team used as a guide for their experiments. The results of the research behind the team’s discovery have been published in ACS Photonics.

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Lily Kelly is an Australian based reporter for The Epoch Times, she covers social issues, renewable energy, the environment and health and science.

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